


The Journey to the Center of the Heart

by Seek (askmewhenimdead)



Series: Veigar's Story [1]
Category: League of Legends
Genre: Angst, Anti-Hero, Comedy, Dealing With Trauma, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Gay, Gen, Importance of Friendship, M/M, Multi, Physical Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2020-07-07 02:40:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19842898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/askmewhenimdead/pseuds/Seek
Summary: The warlock of evil Veigar is alarmed when his former captor Mordekaiser is resurrected and preparing to take over Runeterra once and for all. By coincidence, Veigar meets the whimsical sorceress Lulu and gets the idea of attaining Rabadon's Legendary Deathcrown to surpass and defeat Mordekaiser and take over the world himself. While he planned on doing this alone, it seems Lulu won't leave his side, and soon others join their small team despite Veigar's objections. But is this really as bad as Veigar thinks it is?





	1. 18 AP: You Are Too Close to Me!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> About one year after Mordekaiser got overthrown and Veigar escaped from his prison.  
> With his newfound freedom, Veigar did all sorts of pranks and "evil" deeds to survive and gain a reputation.  
> But a reputation such as his would also attract bounty hunters...

_In the world of Runeterra, there are all sorts of mysterious powers and beings._

_All kinds of strange ideas and places. One of those ideas happen to be world_

_domination, passionately sought after by a small spirit, who's abilities are still_

_growing, and little dark heart needs healing. Not that he acknowledges this, nor_

_realizes these things are connected. And he certainly doesn't care to fix what is_

_only painful to go through. That's why he chose the easy way— he embraced the_

_darkness within himself to cause "evil" anywhere he steps foot, even though,_

_this just might be the opposite of easy._

Near a forest-clad mountain north of Piltover, there is an abandoned barn.

A great pine tree has grown to shroud its roof with long branches that hang

down alongside the front. A blood trail along the path leads to its doorless

opening. Inside the small barn, a thick and uneven layer of hay blankets the

floor like a pale yellow ocean.

Under one of the haystacks lies a trembling yordle, more visible than he thinks.

His black fur and dark blue attire stick out below the bright hay straws. His hat

makes for an excellent hay cone, but together with the red stains around his

cover, it ever so slightly exposes his hiding place.

Veigar wants to close his eyes, rest for a bit, but that person will surely find him

soon. He must be ready. He holds his staff in a tight grip and tries to hold back

his whimpers. The only way for him to win is with a surprise attack. But if that

doesn't work...

With wild optimism, he puts his hand on the left side of his waist.

"Agh!" The stinging pain makes him jolt.

Of course the wound hasn't healed yet. It's barely been five minutes since

Katarina carved it into Veigar's side.

He crawls further into the pile. "That pesky Noxian... I refuse to die like this!

How absolutely dare she! If she comes I will—"

Bushes are rustling. A twig breaks outside. Veigar flinches and stares at the

opening. All he can see is trees, and the very visible red trail he left behind.

Footsteps in grass. Someone comes inside the barn. Veigar raises from his

spot. With a good distance between them, he points with his staff at the figure.

"You!" he yells with the deepest voice he could possibly muster.

"M-me!?" A different voice than he expected responds. A smaller voice.

A childish voice.

Veigar takes a step back. "Who?"

"Am I it?"

"You're what?"

The person who was supposed to be Katarina turned out to be another yordle,

especially small-looking as she's standing in the broad opening. She has purple

skin, noticeable even in the shadows. Big green eyes and long, dark purple hair

reaching past her robe, resting on the ground. A tall, red, timeworn hat sits

on her head, with small, cat-like ears sticking out. Her shoes are pointy and

probably too big for her feet. And what seems to be a purple butterfly circles

the yordle's crooked staff— she must be a witch.

"I'm Lulu and actually YOU are it!" The yordle jumps right in front of Veigar and

pokes him on his belt.

He almost sent a bolt of raw dark energy into her face, but the poke was enough

for him to squirm in pain. He drops his staff in the hay and holds both of his

hands to his bleeding abdomen. He takes some shaky steps back to distance

himself from the unpredictable stranger. "Don't come near me you absolute

fool!"

At this sight, Lulu realizes he isn't all that fit to play tag. "Oh, I'm sorry! I

didn't know you were all played out already!"

"Aghh," Veigar moans and drops to his knees.

The yordle girl is much stronger than she seems. He decides not to

underestimate her. "What do you want from me? Gold? Power? My services?"

"You really wanna know?" A wide grin spreads across the yordle witch's face.

Veigar looks up at her. He tries to look intimidating, narrowing his glowing

eyes, but he loses the staring contest when he is reminded of how tired he is

by a sudden loss of energy. He closes his eyes and leans on his gauntleted

hand.

Lulu walks towards him, with her glittery friend hiding behind her hat. "I want

to enchant you!"

On legs made of rubber, Veigar makes a new attempt at standing up. He backs

up against the wall. His head is spinning. "I'm warning you! Come any closer

and I'll... I'll... I'm a powerful warlock!"

The purple bug lets go of Lulu's hat and flies in front of her. She stops and

listens to its chimes.

"Hmm... he is, indeed," Lulu says, closing her eyes and putting her hand to her

chin. "But it's only because he's hurt, and we'll fix that no problem!"

Veigar wonders if she's making fun of him.

No...

She is definitely making fun of him!

He gathers all the powers he has left and makes the gesture of a circle with his

right hand, causing five crooked pillars of twisted space to arise from the

ground in a ring.

The formation is too big for the barn and goes through one of the walls,

shaking the entire structure.

Lulu loses her balance and bounces off one of the pillars, but freezes before she

makes contact with the ground. The force field left the butterfly unnaturally still

in the air right above her.

"Woah! What is this?" Lulu laughs. "Feels tingly!"

"If you..." Veigar pants heavily, "think you can beat me... you better... think

again..." He glides down the wall to a sitting position.

Looking to his left, as if just reminded that he owns a staff, he stretches meekly

to pick it up and holds it towards Lulu. He struggles to keep his eyes open.

"Hey! I'm not here to fight! You can trust me, we're both yordles after all!" Lulu

tries to move but manages to only wiggle her hands a bit.

"I am... not a yordle..." Veigar says with a voice that weakens with every word.

"I am... a warlock... Veigar... The Great—"

Lulu gets a big smile on her face. "The Tiny Master of Evil! I know you."

The effect of the Event Horizon dwindles and she falls to the ground with a

small squeal. Her hair falls in front of her face.

"The _Great_ Master of Evil!" Veigar corrects and finds his staff too heavy to hold

up any longer. He feels his consciousness slipping away.

The last thing he remembers is the yordle girl flicking her hair back over her

shoulder before she runs towards him with a worried expression and a hand

too close to his liking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm Swedish so my English might be very bad. You're welcome to give me writing tips and reminders.  
> I plan for each chapter to be very short(no pun intended), no less than 1'000 words, no more than 4'000. Mostly between 1'000 and 2'000.


	2. 18 AP: I Missed You, Stranger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sun is setting.

"Let's leave him."

"No way, Pix! I think I recognize this boy." Lulu sticks a hand under Veigar's hat,

feeling his forehead.

"Just kidding, just kidding." Pix flies around in a circle.

"He's too warm. We have to bring him to a colder place."

"So that's how it works," Pix mocks.

"You're so silly."

Lulu takes off Veigar's hat, revealing two long, black ears. His left ear has two

cuts in it.

She can't help but stare at the unconscious mage. For a good minute, she is as

unmoving as the one who has her attention.

"He really is a yordle," she says.

"Yep." Pix flies to Veigar's hat next to him and sits cross-legged on it.

"He's too big for you to carry, though. We can't bring him anywhere."

"Wanna bet?" Lulu crawls closer to Veigar and puts her hands under him.

"Ouch!"

Feeling the spikes on his belt and robe she quickly lets go of him.

"What were we betting? Your raisins?" Pix giggles and flies to sit on Lulu's

head.

Lulu brings her hand to her pocket and puts some raisins into her mouth.

As she chews, she hands Pix two sunflower seeds.

"I'm fresh out of raisins," she says with her mouth full.

If Pix weren't out of her sight, he would give her an unamused look. But since

he is Pix, he does it anyway and bites into one of the seeds.

Lulu turns to Veigar, taking one last look at him before she raises her staff up

high. "I planned on enchanting him anyway!" She closes her eyes and a light

appears around her.

"Transmogulate!"

Veigar's body and clothes transform into the body of a white and fluffy little

critter.

Lulu picks it up and carries the small creature out of the barn. But as she looks

at the pathway she recently came from, she stands still as if confused.

They are surrounded by thick forest, close to the foot of a mountain, but not

close enough where the trees start growing further apart and you can hear the

sound of seagulls.

The seagulls are important because they reveal a water source— the river that

leads to the ocean, and it's very important for knowing where the place she

needs to bring Veigar is.

"I believe it's _that_ way," says Pix and points in the direction of the mountain.

"What would I do without you!" Lulu takes a few steps but is soon interrupted

by a red-haired woman holding two huge daggers.

Katarina throws one up into the air. As it's spinning she looks down at the

yordle who's staring back with a raised eyebrow.

When the dagger comes down, Katarina catches it and uses the momentum

to swing her arm around and throw the dagger at the barn where it sticks to

a plank in the doorframe with a thump.

"That's exactly where I intended it to hit. That's how good I am," says Katarina

and flicks her hair. "If you didn't have that cute cat with you, I would have slain

you already."

Lulu looks at the seemingly sleeping ball of fur in her own arms, then back at

Katarina. "It's not a ca—"

But Lulu is stopped from finishing her sentence by Pix dragging her hat down

in front of her eyes.

"Pix! No!"

Katarina snorts and starts walking towards the barn. "You're lucky you're not

the yordle I'm looking for!" she says loudly, hoping Veigar is around to hear.

She had loved the frightened expression on his face when she finally managed

to cut him. How fun it is to bring cocky furries down from their high horses

and watch as they scream in pain.

Lulu lost her train of thought but is soon reminded by a hysterical Pix.

"Run for it, Lulu!" he whispers, as if Katarina could understand him.

"Oh!" Lulu pulls her hat right and scurries off the path into the woods towards

the mountain.

When Lulu is out of sight, Katarina pulls out the dagger.

"Dangit, I meant for it to hit the threshold."

* * *

Walking among the dense forest for a bit, Lulu hears the squawking of seagulls.

"Aha!" she exclaims when she sees the bare mountain foot as through a

peephole made of trees. Only moss and small, yellow flowers grow on the

mountain rocks.

She jogs out to it and starts searching around the area.

"Probably a little more east," Pix says and flies higher up so he can see better.

"Oh! Lulu, I see it!"

"The cave?" Lulu gets excited. "Then hurry! Show me the way, you dingus!"

Pix flies around the mountain and Lulu follows.

"Your vision is incredible! How can you see around a mountain?" Lulu jumps

over a small bush.

"I have my ways," Pix says and lands on a big rock in front of a dark tunnel.

When Lulu catches up, she stops and looks into it. A faint, blue glow can be

seen further in. It smells of wet earth as if it had just rained.

She goes in without much hesitation and Pix flies next to her.

They get surrounded by darkness, but when they can't see the entrance

anymore, the glow gets stronger.

It comes from luminous crystals in the ceiling, walls and the very ground

they're walking on.

Lulu trips on one and almost falls with Veigar still in her arms, but she

manages to catch herself with her fast leg reflexes.

They arrive at a small body of clear water, lit up by the crystals.

She sits down in front of it and begins to slowly lower the critter into the

water, but she holds him so that his head rests on her thighs.

She cancels the spell, and with a small cloud of magic dust, Veigar is turned

back to normal.

He is still unconscious as his blue robe gets soaked and his staff sinks to the

bottom of the shallow pond.

"Do you really believe this water has healing properties?" Pix feels dubious,

he has been here hundreds of times and never had he heard of this cave

holding any special magic before.

"I can feel it," Lulu says and closes her eyes.

A silence matching the chilly air around them fills the cave.

The ripples in the water create relaxing sounds of soft splashing.

Pix looks down at the dark mage.

"Then I have missed a lot of opportunities."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While not too strictly, I intend to switch the perspective between Veigar and Lulu every other chapter, so what Pix says can be heard too.


	3. 18 AP: What's with the Spikes?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's dark outside the cave. You can see the stars.

When Veigar wakes up he feels bad. Bad like freezing and weak and shivering.

And at first, he thought he had an accident. The not very admirable kind.

Something he never has. But then he realized the reason his body felt wet was

because he was literally in water.

Floating like a dead fish.

He still feels tired.

His eyes are only slightly open, but he can still see that hell looks pretty

different than it used to. Dark as always, but this time with vague blue lights

coming from who knows where. Water ripples dancing on the dented ceiling.

Only the noise of droplets and the resulting echoes.

Almost... serene.

Too bad he doesn't like being in water and must get out immediately.

He tries to grab at an edge but feels a stinging in his side. A burning sensation

that shouldn't be possible with his body underwater.

"Ah, right," he thinks, "Katarina killed me."

He drags himself slowly to land, constantly reminded of his wound as he lies

down next to the pond.

He's there for a while; unmoving, thinking, until he falls asleep.

* * *

"The death realm sure looked different."

* * *

Veigar is awoken by the sound of laughter.

So loud.

"I mean, who doesn't like blackberries!?" The voice sounds familiar. And

annoying.

And it's coming closer.

Oh please, no.

"Besides, if he doesn't want them, I'll have a nice treat for myself!" Lulu skips

through the cave, having every single footstep echo right into Veigar's ears.

It doesn't help in the least that they're covered by a hat.

She stops right in front of the mage, looking at him from above, although all

she can see is his hat. "Are you awake?"

Veigar considers pretending to be dead, but then turns to his side. "Leave me

alone," he mumbles.

"Hey, I brought you food so you won't be so grumpy!" Lulu jumps to the side

Veigar is facing and places a leaf with blackberries on the ground. "It's

important to rest and eat if you want to heal properly!"

Veigar reaches for a berry. He brings it under his hat. Then he turns to look

up at Lulu with an annoyed expression.

"I'm not planning on getting poisoned today!" he says and throws the

blackberry at Lulu's face.

She takes a step back by reflex. "Poison? I'm sure these are regular

blackberries, I even ate some myself!"

Veigar picks up more blackberries and tosses them at Lulu. "Then eat this!

And this! And these! And this one!"

Lulu manages to catch a few and puts them in her mouth. "Yummy!"

She crouches down and picks up the other thrown ones, eating them as well.

"See, you can eat them, they're safe, I promise."

Veigar holds onto one of the last not-yet-thrown blackberries, observing it.

"You have an antidote for yourself," he sputters.

"There is no poison! It's just a natural blackberry! How can I make you trust

me?"

Veigar looks skeptical at her. "If you sit here without moving a muscle for

an hour I just might start to trust... your berries."

"I can do that!" Lulu smiles and sits down next to the stubborn yordle.

He crawls a bit further away from her. "Just not too close!"

"Alright!"

Lulu sits still for a bit, while Pix flies to sit on the leaf with the berries.

"Oh! Hey!" Lulu shouts, making Veigar wake up from a daydream with a jolt.

"Let's switch hats! That would be funny!"

"No." Veigar holds his hat as if Lulu would take it from him. "Nobody can wear

this hat except for the Ti— Great Master of Evil!"

"Hmm, why?"

"It's mine! My hat!"

"How about we play a game then?"

Veigar looks around the cave. "What kind of game?"

"20 Questions! I think it goes something like this: I ask you a personal

question, and then you ask me one, and then I ask you and so it goes on!"

"That's an awfully intrusive game, and probably a disguise for treason! I will

have none of it!"

"Geesh, you sure are cranky," Lulu says and lies on her stomach.

"I said don't move!"

"What could I possibly do while lying down?"

Veigar sits himself up with some effort. "I'm watching you, you purple _fiend_."

Pix says something to Lulu that sounds like bells ringing to Veigar.

"Yeah, that is a nice purple," says Lulu and looks at the small dark

magic enthusiast.

"What is?" Veigar examines his own clothing.

"Your little purple flirpy thing!"

"Little?"

"Perhaps it's not little to you, but from here it's kind of—"

"Are you making fun of me? Do you have any idea of what I have done to

people who disrespect my prowess? I will—" Veigar tries to point at Lulu

with his staff before realizing he doesn't have it. "Where! Where is my staff!?"

"Oh, it's probably on the bottom of the pond," Lulu says, unfaced by Veigar's

attempt at a threat.

"No, no, no! My wizard staff!" Veigar leans over the water, looking for the

golden glow of the crystal attached to his weapon.

"It's not that deep, I think you just need to barely dive in to get it."

"You buffoon," Veigar says in a low voice. He gives up on it for now, thinking

he'll try to figure out how to get it later when he is less exhausted.

He leans back and lies on his right side so he can watch the suspicious witch.

Lulu smirks. "You can't swim?"

"Shut up, you absolute thorn," says Veigar.

"You're not very powerful at all are you?"

"Wh— I am known all over Runeterra! I am a master of the dark arts—"

"But you can't swim?"

Lulu snickers.

If Veigar didn't have black fur and a big hat, anyone could see him blushing

bright red. However, both Lulu and Pix knew it anyway.

Veigar turns around, mumbling to himself before he remembers he should be

watching the dipstick and turns back. "Who are you anyway? Some unknown,

powerless half-witch yordle. Too insignificant to even be _infamous_. Pfah!

I'd be sorry if I were you."

"I'm Lulu, the Fae Sorceress! That's what most people call me anyway."

Veigar clicks his tongue. "Right, sure they do."

"Well, so Veigar... You don't remember me from anywhere?"

"Unlike you, I am _actually_ very well known, so no, I can't say I've ever even

heard of yo—"

"No, no. I mean, do you recognize me?"

"What?"

"I..." For the first time since she met Veigar, she stopped smiling.

She looks down and Pix flies to sit on her shoulder. "Are you also searching

for something that you're not certain you can get?"

"Of course not! My evergrowing powers know no limits!" Veigar almost shines.

"One day, I will rule all of Runeterra! And that's just truth!"

Lulu pulls her hat down to cover her eyes as she smiles a little. "Yeah, I have a

dream like that too."

"Dream? It's a plan! It's just a matter of time!"

Veigar notices Lulu's different body language. "But... What is this dream of

yours, if I may ask?"

Lulu sits herself up and wraps her arms around her knees. "Oh, I was once at

an amazing place. Where things were the same as me. Everything was magical

and fun and strange. It felt like home... Pix calls it the Glade."

Veigar finds himself quite lost.

"I don't remember how I got there, or how I got out. But I'd like to go back

there... someday," Lulu says, with her voice getting quieter.

"Well, how very touching. Don't be too sorry if you never find it again, that's

simply how life is. Suffering, oh, more suffering!" Veigar says, waving his

hand. "The only thing I'm sorry about is that I wasn't the one to bring it to

you this time, though."

"That's okay... I think." Lulu sighs.

Veigar sighs too.

Pix whispers something in Lulu's ear.

"Wow, what is that?" Lulu's eyes grow wide.

"Huh? What is what?" Veigar's curiosity makes him lean just a tiny bit closer

to Lulu.

"Pix says he heard something exciting the other day, about a crown or

something." Lulu listens to Pix who continues with his squeaky sounds.

"Oh wow! Rabadon's Deathcrown is what it's called! Did I pronounce it right?"

Pix nods and says something.

"Anyone who wears it... gains infinite power? What a great tale, Pix! Who told

you that?"

"Infinite power!" Veigar jumps to his feet while holding his hand on his side.

"Where can I get this Deathcrown?"

"Hmm, Pix says he doesn't remember, but apparently it's guarded by a dragon.

How lonely that must be!"

"I am getting that Deathcrown! And I'll be all-powerful! Yes! I will be the one

toying with everyone! The world will be miiiine!" Veigar laughs maniacally

as he holds his bigger gauntleted hand high up in the air, not even close

to reaching the low ceiling of the cave.

"Wow, you healed fast!"

Lulu claps.

"That's right! This is but a scratch! Bow before me: Veigar— The Great. Master.

Of EVIL!"

"Sounds fun! Where do we start? And when? Tomorrow, right?" Lulu is almost

as excited as the tiny warlock.

"We?" Veigar turns to scorn at her before he sits himself down again. His

wound really started to hurt badly now. "It's only me who will go! I don't

need any dead weights!"

Veigar's stomach starts growling.

"If you say so," Lulu teases, "but then I suppose these blackberries are only for

me!" She reaches for the leaf slowly on purpose.

Veigar feels torn between his pride, fears and immediate need for fuel. He 

hasn't eaten since morning, where his meal consisted of nothing more than a

slice of bread, donated to him by a kind villager who thought he was charming

with his death threats.

"W-wait!" he says and stretches out his hand. "I just might believe... in your

berries... for now."

"That's great!" Lulu grabs the leaf and holds it towards him. "I picked them for

you!"

Veigar takes the leaf.

"Ow!" Lulu got pricked by one of the spikes on his gauntlet.

"My apologies, but pain really is inevitable," Veigar says and picks up a

blackberry.

"That's alright," says Lulu. "But I've been meaning to ask... What's with all the

spikes on your clothes? It really makes it hard to carry you, even though you

are so tiny!"

Veigar stares at his blackberry. He smells it. Feels its squishiness between

his fingers. He looks back at the wondering Lulu.

Then he throws the berry.


	4. 18 AP: It's Easy to Be a Difficult Person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lulu ended up swimming to the bottom of the pond for Veigar to get his staff back.  
> They went to sleep.  
> And the next morning Veigar felt a bit better, although it is still unclear the cave  
> holds any special healing properties.

"So you're sure he doesn't know where it is? Not even a hint?" Veigar pushes a

branch out of his way as he slips on roots and wet leaves.

"Yeah, we'll have to ask someone else about it!" Lulu follows right behind him.

"My plan," Pix starts, "was actually for you two to spread the rumour, not go

seek it for yourselves. You really are stupid, both of you."

"Everyone is a bit stupid, Pix."

"What did the little nuisance say this time?" Veigar turns around.

"Nothing. Pix is just being Pix."

Veigar sighs heavily. "Do you really have to come with? That butterfly is some

inferior kind of evil, the type that I'd like to not be affiliated with. It's quite

distasteful."

"Distasteful... You fail even to make a proper name for yourself!" Pix berates.

"Can you tell him I don't get what he says so he might as well be quiet."

Veigar continues stumbling around bushes and uneven soil.

"I can't really tell him what to do," Lulu says and looks up at the fairy flying

towards Veigar. "Where are you going, Pix?"

"Ssh!" Pix sits himself on the tip of Veigar's hat.

"I hope he's finally getting lost," Veigar says as he climbs up on a big rock.

"Oh, yes!"

Lulu wonders if Pix is planning a prank, but decides not to worry about it. He

wouldn't actually _hurt_ Veigar, would he?

"What do you see?" Lulu climbs up right next to him.

They are so high up, they can look down at a city. Full of busy people, cargo

ships, skyscrapers and massive machines and their associated smoke.

The self-proclaimed master of evil giggles. "A harbour! People here ought to

know lots of rumours!" He jumps back down and tries to find a path that leads

to the bottom.

"Polluted," Pix says.

"Yeah." Lulu looks at the little dark water that can be seen between hundreds

of boats and bridges. Then she turns her gaze towards Pix with his droopy

wings as he tries to hold onto the tip of the hat.

"I know another game we can play!" Lulu says and jumps in front of Veigar.

He almost walks into her. "Wah! Witch! You are all kinds of in the way!"

She hops and catches Pix in both her hands so that Veigar gets her hair in his

mouth. "We can play Catch Pix!"

Veigar stumbles backwards and lightly pushes Lulu away from him.

He spits out a hair strand and frowns. "No!"

"Aww, why not?"

Pix squirms his way out of her grip and flies back to sit on Veigar's hat

without him noticing, the dark yordle is far too occupied scowling at Lulu.

Veigar shakes his head and starts walking past her, but she follows right next

to him.

"Do you have any idea who I am? You are talking to the Master of Evil himself.

You ought to be afraid! Not suggest games to play with me!" Veigar sticks out

a leg and Lulu trips on it, landing face-first into the dirt. "See? I am pure evil!"

Lulu laughs as she gets herself up. "You're really full of surprises!"

Veigar narrows his eyes. "And you are right, yordle. Everyone is stupid."

"I said that?" Lulu skips next to Veigar.

He rolls his eyes. "Here's a path."

They stop in front of a thin trail leading down a steep hill. Veigar tries to

carefully walk down it, steadying himself on his staff.

"Hey, Lulu," Pix whispers, "give him a push. We can ride this track all the way

down, it will go faster and also be a lot more fun."

Lulu gasps. "What a sparkling idea!"

"Hm? What is?" As Veigar is about to turn to look at Lulu, she jumps on him and

they both start rolling down.

"WAAAAH!!" Veigar screams.

"WEEEE!!" Lulu laughs.

Pix snickers and flies after them in an unhurried pace.

"LULUUU!!!" Veigar's voice wobbles as he spins downwards like a blue

paper ball.

"YEES?" Lulu responds before they both get to the end of the path, crashing

into the metal wall of a giant steam machine in motion.

Veigar tries to collect himself— once again his side is hurting badly, but now

he also sees nothing but wavey stripes of colours and he feels nauseous.

Lulu tries to dizzily grab her hat that fell off next to Veigar, but as she gets it,

she falls on his legs. "Ouch! Spikes!" She clumsily pushes herself up and falls

backwards.

"You..." Veigar tries to discern Lulu from a red bag of trash someone left

next to the machine probably months ago. "Are you trying to kill us!?"

"Woahh, you look like a blueberry." Lulu tries to stand up but accidentally

pushes Veigar into the trash and falls on top of him.

"Right where you belong," says Pix, who just now caught up with them.

"Get off of me!" Veigar screeches and tries to not be crushed by Lulu's entire

body weight.

"Sorry! Everything is blurry!" Lulu falls on her butt. "That was fun wasn't it?"

"It would have been if you had told me before pushing me!" Veigar tries to

stand up. On shaky legs, he brushes off some dirt from his robe.

"I take that as a strong yes!" Lulu laughs and jumps to catch her staff from

the ground as if it would run away from her.

Veigar staggers a little, but when he can see Lulu clearly, he puts his hands

on his waist. "You're a walking curse, you know that? Your soul is all muddy

and small!"

"Oh? What does that mean?"

"It means I wouldn't take it even if I wanted to!" Veigar fixes his hat and grabs

his staff with some effort from two tree branches it had gotten stuck in. He

turns to observe the huge machine they bumped into.

It has massive wheels on top of it, turning, as a complicated pattern of rods

connects them with cranks and other parts with steam coming out of

everywhere. It has a blinking lamp sticking out, with a metal cage around it.

A sign on the machine says "Item Shop".

"Hm..." Veigar puts a giant gauntlet to his chin. "Not an ordinary one..."

"What is it?" Lulu has risen and tries to see what the tiny mage is staring at.

Veigar rubs the back of his head. He's going to get a headache.

"You can feel it, can't you?" he says.

"Magic!" Lulu shouts.

"Yes, indeed— yordle magic."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday, Veigar!
> 
> 24th of July 2009


	5. 18 AP: He's Already on Top of It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heimerdinger knows all kinds of rumours.

A bell rings when the creaky door opens. It's surprisingly light for how thick it is,

but yordles were always skillful at this type of logic-defying magic.

The two sorcerers sneak in, one a little more eager than the other.

The walls and floor cannot be seen, as rusty steel bookcases filled with glass

containers and shiny boxes with sparks coming out of them cover all possible

spaces. Even for yordle standards would this place seem claustrophobic.

Gunpowder and the smell of metal fill the air, making it feel thick to breathe.

Papers who turned yellow with time and strangely shaped pipes lie here and

there. The ceiling has one little lightbulb that lights up the room no more than

the sparks of the broken devices.

Furthest into the room is a big, metallic desk with pencils, papers and thick

books in a pile.

Clocks are ticking and electrical buzzing is coming from everywhere. Is this

really any kind of store or the laboratory of a poor scientist?

From an abnormally thin, but tall door, a yordle with great curly yellow hair

and red circular glasses comes to sit behind the metal table.

"Ah," he starts and fixes his glasses, "two young yordlings, welcome!

I assume you want some upgrades? Or perhaps you'd like to try a new

invention of mine?"

Lulu and Veigar exchange looks in silence. Pix flies to examine a

curious-looking box in the corner with its lid leaving a small opening to see

darkness inside.

"Ohoho! No, no!" The little scientist rushes to close the lid. "I'd prefer it if you

didn't touch that. It's a bit of a failed project you could say!"

Pix puts his hands on his stick waist and flies to Veigar's hat.

The inventor carries the box and puts it behind the desk. "So, what will it be?"

Veigar steps forward slightly uneasy.

"We... we were wondering if you had any information..." He fidgets with his

gauntlets.

"Aha!" The yordle of science leans back and crosses his arms as his

mustache widens in a smile. "Depending on how complicated your question

is, I just might have to charge you with an errand for it!"

Veigar looks up confused into the reflective lenses of the expert's glasses.

But then he puts on a confident front. "For someone like you, this question

shouldn't be much of a problem." Veigar leans onto the desk, closer to him,

causing the scientist to lean in as well out of sheer curiosity as he turns his

left ear towards the little mage. "All we want to know is the location of the

legendary Deathcrown."

At those words, the eyebrows of the scientist raise. Then he throws himself

backwards into his chair and laughs.

Veigar takes a step back, almost into Lulu who stood right behind him to

listen in, even though she knew very well what they were talking about.

"Ahahah! The Deathcrown!" The scientist holds a hand to this heart. "Oh, my

boy! That is but an empty rumour! Where did you ever hear of such a thing?"

"I—" But Veigar is interrupted by the tall door being slammed open by

another yordle, one shorter than the scientist, and browner, but wearing

round glasses as well. Instead of a massive ball of hair on his head, he is

wearing a striped cap.

"Hey, Heimer! What's so funny?" The yordle is holding what seems to be a

crackling bomb in one of his hands, and as soon as he sees Veigar he throws

it to him. "Here! Could you hold this for a minute?"

Veigar catches the bomb before he realizes what it is. "Ah! Hold this!"

He passes it to Lulu who takes it in both her hands and studies it.

"Sparkly!"

The bomb yordle giggles.

"Oh yes! Wait til it blows up! That's even better!"

The professor finds himself out of laughter and wipes away a tear. "Would

you be so kind as to not blow up the shop today, Ziggs? I am so incredibly

close to finishing my latest project!"

"Aww, but—"

"Zigmund, you know it's no good!"

"Fine!" Ziggs walks over to Lulu with his head held low and takes the bomb

from her. "Hey, you wanna see how to disarm a bomb?"

Lulu puts her hands to her cheeks. "I'd love to!"

She barely finishes her reply before Ziggs throws it into the air and lets it

fall into his mouth. He swallows it and burps up flames and a cloud of

smoke.

Lulu blinks in surprise.

Pix tries to hold onto Veigar's shaking hat, who's owner has had just about

enough of this nonsense.

Veigar jabs his staff to the metal floor with a loud clang. "Listen here you

little nuts! If you don't tell me what you know about the Deathcrown, I will

have both of your heads as my Sunday slippers shortly!"

The two madmen look at the arrogant mage as if he said something

awkward. They share a look and Ziggs skips back through the tall door with

a big grin on his face.

The scientist leans gently on his desk and plays with his mustache. "So, you

want to know about the Deathcrown?"

"YES!" Veigar shouts, feeling unbelievably impatient at this point.

"I would like to know why you are seeking such an item. It couldn't possibly

be... for yourself?"

"Of course it is! I am the Great Master of Evil— Veigar!"

"Ah..." The inventor scratches his thick hair, then reaches out his right hand.

"Good morning, Veigar. I am Professor Cecil B. Heimerdinger, a revered

inventor and the most impressive yordle scientist in all of Runeterra, if I do

say so myself."

Veigar hesitates, but then reaches out his gauntleted hand to be shaken by

Heimerdinger.

"Now," the scientist begins and ducks to search for something behind his

desk, "while I am quite sure this crown you seek is cursed and exceptionally

dangerous, I can tell you its location is at the top of Mount Targon." He looks

up from the floor. "Furthermore, it's guarded by a celestial dragon, if I

remember correctly."

"Mount Targon! So that's where it is!" Veigar holds his staff to his chest as his

eyes shine.

"Certainly," says Heimerdinger and ducks again.

"Is that far?" Lulu snatches Pix from the daydreamer's hat.

"Very." The scientist rises as Ziggs comes back and hands him a rolled-up

paper with cuts and brown spots. "Ah, perfect timing, Zigmund!"

The Hexplosives Expert bows still grinning and proceeds to light a bomb

before he disappears inside the darkness of the thin door opening.

"This is a map that shows the safest routes to the mountain. Routes that

would otherwise be hidden! It's an incredibly rare and exquisite map, crafted

by a master mapmaker yordle long ago! It will not come at a cheap price I

must warn you!"

Veigar snorts. "We don't need your map! We have something called 'sense of

direction'!"

Heimerdinger pulls down his glasses slightly and looks at Veigar in disbelief.

"Are you quite certain? The majority of people who has attempted to climb

the mountain did not end up where they expected."

"What does that even mean!?" Veigar throws his arms up into the air. "Simply

tell me the price if you want me to buy it you absolute hamster!"

"You're a feisty one aren't you?" Heimerdinger puts his glasses right and

places the map on the table. "One map for one errand. Are you up for it, Tiny

Master of Evil?"

"It's—" Once again Veigar is interrupted.

"Yes! What's the errand!? Tell us, tell us!" Lulu throws herself at the desk,

shoving Veigar to the side in the process. He gives her an annoyed glance

but settles standing behind her, pouting in silence with his arms crossed.

"I'd like for you to deliver a message to a dear friend of mine." The inventor

opens some screechy drawers and rustles around their contents. "Her name is

Tristana and I believe she can be found in Bandle City."

"That sounds real fun! Don't you think so too, Vei?"

"If that's all we have to do I suppose it's doable." The tiny mage walks towards

the exit. "So what's the message?"

"Oh, hold on!" The scientist rummages through more drawers before he

reaches into his pocket and sighs in relief. "I dare not trust this message to

regular mail people you see. Humans aren't all that trustworthy." He pulls out

an envelope and gives it to Lulu. "But you are yordles. I am confident you'll

deliver this without peeking or ruining it. It holds much value to me, I hope

you understand."

"Absolutely!" Lulu jumps and forces it into the pocket of her robe. Pix dives

after it.

Veigar mumbles, "...not a yordle, you dumb..." He opens the door, making the

bell jingle. "Are you coming or not, Sorceress!?"

"In a second!" Lulu turns to the inventor who has begun to study a small

crystal. "Thank you so much! We'll be right back to get the map! So don't give it

to anyone else!"

"Ohoho, of course not," says Heimerdinger and smiles. "Bye now, may your trip

go well!"

Lulu waves as she leaps outside with an eye-rolling Veigar following behind

her.

When the door closes and the two travellers are gone, Ziggs comes back with

two bombs in his hands. "Oi, Heimer, are you sure you want to entrust the

map to them?"

"Fellow yordles, you know how it is." Heimerdinger puts his head on the table,

still examining the crystal.

"Fair enough, but I have a bad feeling about this." Ziggs juggles with his

bombs.

"How so?" The scientist puts the crystal into a small case with similar

glowing rocks.

The Hexplosives Expert drops one of the bombs but lets it be with its

sizzling fuse. He spins the other one on his finger.

"They looked kind of crazy to me."


	6. 18 AP: Run Away from Your Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lulu and Veigar try to procrastinate.

"Isn't it a little strange?" Lulu kicks a stone. It rolls into a small hole in the bridge.

A tiny plop is heard.

Veigar gives Lulu an irritated stare from behind. "What?"

"That he said 'Good morning' but it's noon!"

"He's a science yordle, naturally he makes no sense." Veigar stops to lean

against the bridge fencing. "You can't trust anything except magic in this

world!"

"Not even friends?"

The warlock keeps silent. He walks supporting himself with both his staff and

the fence.

"The real mystery is why there are so few people around at this hour," he

mumbles.

"Woah look at this!" Lulu stands in awe in front of hundreds of padlocks

locked to the fence. "What are they here for?"

Veigar comes to examine them. "I haven't the foggiest. I don't sense any

magic around this spot."

Many of the locks have names and letters written or engraved onto them.

Several are shaped like hearts. But only one looks like two guns facing the

opposite direction in symmetry.

Lulu lifts it a bit to read its letters. "I like this butterfly one. Are you any good at

math, Vei?"

"Perhaps I am."

"This one says 'S plus L', what's that?"

"Nonsense." Veigar bends down to inspect it further. "Yes, utter and complete

nonsense."

"That's too bad." Lulu looks down.

"Anyway, we have no time for this! We need to continue south or the portal

might move!"

Veigar feels someone behind him, and as he turns around, he sees the black

pants of Katarina.

He looks up. She is smiling.

"Hello there, Tiny."

Veigar gulps. Then he draws a circle in the air and five crooked pillars

surround the red-haired assassin. She manages to take no more than one

step before she feels her body frozen.

"Run, Witch!" Veigar grabs Lulu's arm and they run down the bridge.

Lulu looks behind them. "Oh! It's her! Hello!"

Katarina squirms but can't get out of the force field. "I should have known

you were working together! I will get you! I will get you both!"

"You can't catch the Great Master of Entrapment, you fool!" Veigar cackles and

stops at the end of the bridge causing Lulu to run into him. He stumbles

forward and sees a tram. "This way!" He climbs aboard.

Lulu jumps on to sit next to him.

As the tram moves on, they watch Katarina fall to the bridge floor.

Veigar giggles. "Bye bye, mortal pinwheel!"

"See you later!" Lulu says and waves at the assassin.

Veigar shoots the sorceress a puzzled look.

Katarina throws a dagger. It sticks to the ground at the end of the bridge. She

stands in a position as if she would run, but instead, she completely

disappears out of sight.

Veigar tries to see where she went, but the tram goes through a dark tunnel.

It's not a very long passage, for soon they are met with sunlight again.

But they also hear a thud on the top of the tram.

Veigar gets a chill down his spine. It can't be...

Red hair creeps down from the roof and they see the smirking face of

Katarina. "Boo."

"This is our destination!" Veigar jumps off right onto a metal bench. He drops

to his knees on it.

Lulu leaps across the tracks and takes Veigar's hand firmly. "She saw us!

Run!" The sorceress looks at the tram with Katarina making herself ready to

jump off of it.

Veigar tries to stand up with the help of Lulu but falls forward on all fours on

the bench. He touches his side. Blood is smeared over his gauntlet. "I... I can't,"

he says, barely audible.

"Then I've got to enchant you again!"

"Again?"

Lulu raises her staff. "Adoribus!"

Veigar feels his body shrinking and before he knows it, he is turned into a

small critter with a fluffy tail.

Lulu snatches the tinier-than-normal Veigar and runs into an alley, but

Katarina lands in front of her.

"I bet you think you're clever," Katarina swings her blade in front of the little

sorceress, cutting a strand of her hair, "but I can see through all of your

disguises."

Pix throws magic dust into Katarina's eyes. She growls and rubs her face.

"Ah, dangit!"

Lulu runs into one of the alley workshops.

Huge machines are moving up and down. Clashing sounds and other

thunderous noises drown the quick steps of the sorceress running through.

People are shouting to each other and pulling levers.

Lulu hides between one of the machines and its control panel to catch her

breath. She looks down at the creature in her arms. "Are you okay?"

Veigar can't answer. Partly because he is under a spell, and partly because he

is busy shaking in fear.

Between all the banging and beeping of the workshop, Lulu hears the clacking

of a shoe.

"You can't hide from me, you little monsters!" Katarina's voice echoes in every

steel pipe that goes through the walls.

Lulu sneaks from her hiding place to the next machine. If she can take them to

the last machine, they can run through the open door out of the workshop and

flee somewhere else.

But she must do it without Katarina noticing.

Pix flies to sit on the vibrating panelboard in front of Lulu. "I can distract her

while you run," he whispers.

"That's risky, but it's all we can do isn't it?" Lulu peeks to see if she can spot

where the assassin is.

She can't see her.

"I'll find her for you, you just run, okay!" Pix flies above the machines and

lands on a pipe.

Steam is everywhere, making the figure of Katarina blurry, but Pix sees her

searching too close to where Lulu is.

He dives down and pulls her red hair.

Katarina immediately strikes her dagger at him, almost cutting off his wing.

Pix distances himself from her but keeps himself close enough so that she can

see him.

"Oh, you huh? Where is your little friend?" Katarina lashes herself at him, her

daggers cutting through the steam.

Lulu sees what's going on and takes the chance to sneak behind the next

engine. Now she is close to the open door. She takes one look past the

machine and sees Katarina about to catch Pix.

"Watch out!" she shouts without thinking.

Veigar flinches in her arms and Lulu realizes Katarina is looking right at her.

Lulu runs through the exit with the assassin right behind her. She finds herself

in some sort of steep hill of giant escalators. Some of them have boxes on

them, and in between, there are massive cogwheels turning.

Lulu jumps on an escalator and runs with it uphill.

Katarina follows, throwing daggers after the yordle. Pix is far behind both of

them.

"Do you have any suggestions about where to go!?" Lulu tries to dodge the

flying knives landing everywhere around her.

Veigar makes a squeaky sound and frowns.

"Oh boy!" The sorceress leaps over the edge onto the escalator next to them.

This one goes downwards and she runs along its course.

Katarina throws herself up into the air and lands on a box on the same

escalator behind Lulu.

Lulu turns around, eyes widening.

Katarina raises her dagger and smiles. "So Tiny is hiding again. Is he really

that afraid of facing me?" She jabs her dagger into the side of the escalator,

causing it to abruptly stop and Lulu to fall forward.

She drops the critter in her fall and they both roll down the escalator steps.

Lulu's spell weakens and Veigar is turned back into a dark yordle as they

collide with the foot of the escalator.

Katarina walks leisurely down the steps, spinning a dagger around her finger.

"Ah, there you are. I thought I'd never get to see you in your true form again—

as a bleeding little rat."

Veigar forces himself to stand up. He narrows his eyes at the assassin slowly

approaching. He grins. "My apologies, I forgot my kitchen utensils at home.

We should call it a draw."

Katarina stands in front of the little mage, who reaches barely past the spikes

of her lower legwear. "You know, I always put my kitchen utensils where I will

remember them. In places such as..." Katarina bows down so that her face is

right above the yordle's. "...through the eyes of my enemies."

Veigar tenses up.

"Vei!"

The warlock is motionless and turns only his wide eyes in Lulu's direction as

Katarina looms right above him.

The Fae Sorceress jumps and spins in the air.

"Hugify!"


	7. 18 AP: (Or...)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veigar is the Master of Destruction. Lulu is the Master of..?

Veigar grows as he has never grown before.

He finds himself staring down at Katarina and Lulu, who seem to be the size

of toys. He looks at his greater gauntlet which is now as big as a train.

"What is this!?" Veigar takes a step back and crushes a crate of fruit with his

giant metal shoe. Juices spray some people and the walls of a building with

gold patterns around its door.

Veigar looks behind him and sees several humans staring in shock at the

massive yordle.

The evil warlock soon realizes he is finally intimidating. He is actually a threat

to everyone now. Ultimately, he can gain respect with this height!

He turns his gaze towards a confused Katarina. He points at her and forms a

ball of dark energy in his palm. "Tell me, what's black and blue..." The ball

grows and is soon the size of a car. "...and is about to show you the definition

of pain!?"

Veigar smirks as he unleashes the bolt of energy at Katarina who throws a

dagger up to the escalator and disappears right before the explosion of dark

magic occurs.

Veigar, who now has an excellent view over the area, sees Katarina running

uphill and takes a step to follow. But Lulu jumps at his foot and waves with

both her arms.

She is yelling something, but it's hard to make out exactly what.

"Up!"

"What's up?" The big little mage crouches down.

Lulu puts her arm in front of her closed eyes and flaps her other hand at

Veigar. "Everyone can see up your skirt!"

Veigar winces. He feels a flush creeping across his cheeks. Immediately he

pulls his knees together and tugs at his robe. "W-witch! It's not a gosh darn

skirt!"

And then he shrinks.

Buildings become taller. People come closer. The escalators who seemed to

lead to another part of the city now look like they lead up to heaven.

And Katarina turns around to see that the mage no longer is as big of a threat

as he was mere seconds ago.

Veigar sighs, both in relief and disappointment.

Lulu grabs his arm. "She's coming!"

The embarrassed warlock sees Katarina leaping towards him as he gets

pulled away by Lulu.

"In here!" The sorceress pushes open a door covered in juice and they run

inside.

Katarina pulls out a dagger from the pavement and watches the two yordles

escaping into an unusually big structure. "What are they thinking going into

the Ecliptic Vaults?"

The Noxian rolls her eyes and sprints after them.

Inside the building, a lot of people have gathered to discuss important topics

like politics and what to have for dinner.

The ceiling is high up and made out of white marble with diamond patterns

painted on it. In the middle of it, there is a big hole where you can see the sky.

A sphere of meridians is placed on top of it, blocking some of its view, but

still letting the sun shine in generously.

Three hollow pillars of gold, formed to work like complex engines with

special springs and rods running through them connect to the ceiling.

Big windows of white and blue stained glass patterns let some more light

into the place.

Such a spacious building is perfect for... a fight!

When Katarina slams open the juicey door, Veigar stands prepared in front of

the middle pillar.

"Alright!" he shouts. "Enough running around! If you want to fight me, just

know that you'll never get me alive!"

"I wasn't planning to either." Katarina pulls out two daggers into each her

hands.

Veigar swallows. "And I won't die today." He points his staff at the assassin.

"Come at me, Noxian!"

Katarina dashes towards him. She throws a knife to the left of her.

Veigar raises his Event Horizon and stands between two of its crooked pillars.

Katarina leaps to her dagger right beside the formation.

Veigar bends down and then hops to swat the air, causing an ominous

shadow to fall upon the assassin.

She raises her head only to be met by a heavy mass of dark matter that

slams her into the ground.

Confused onlookers gasp and back away as parts of their antique vault roof

collapse onto its floor. None dare approach the duelling criminals even

though it's possible they will wreck their entire city if this goes on.

Katarina spits out some blood and wipes her mouth. "That's the only time I

won't see that coming."

Veigar gives her a nervous smile, then runs behind the golden pillar.

Katarina charges towards him once again, throwing one dagger to her right

and one far past Veigar into another pillar.

The yordle makes several throwing motions, causing three shadows to appear

around Katarina.

She leaps to the dagger on her right and does a somersault to just barely

avoid a burst.

Parts of the ceiling sphere fall down and make a massive hole in the floor.

As the blasts of the Dark Matters thunder behind her, Katarina turns up right

next to Veigar, who in panic surrounds them both in his Event Horizon.

The assassin escapes to her dagger on the pillar, and dives back to Veigar,

expecting his formation to fade before she reaches him.

"Pix, now!" Lulu's voice catches both fighters off guard.

A mysterious pattern envelops Veigar, and Katarina who meant to slash him,

crashes into it. She jumps away and lands on her feet.

"Two versus one? Or do you both together count as one maybe?" Katarina

scoffs.

"Shut your trap, lest you want me to go all out on you, mortal!" Veigar swings

his staff, then lowers it to the floor.

Katarina finds herself surrounded by one massive shadow, covering half of

the building on her side. She turns to Veigar and looks straight at him with

eyes wide of rage. She lunges forward.

But the ceiling declines and she disappears in smoke and debris.

At this point, everyone in the building is more outside than inside. No roof is

left, and the windows have been smashed by the shockwaves. Half of the

walls are now on the ground, turned into rubbish.

A pillar caves in and falls on a staircase.

"I think we should go now," says Lulu and tugs at Veigar's gauntlet.

The evil warlock takes a deep breath and witnesses what he has caused.

Destruction. Nothing but destruction.

This is his thing though. This is what he wants, right?

Pix crawls under Lulu's hat. "Do you think they're going to ban us?"

Lulu shrugs and tilts her head. "We weren't even welcome here to begin with."

"I suppose this is why." Pix looks through the gaps of the frayed hat.

Lulu takes a few steps down a staircase away from the little mage. "Can you

walk?"

"I..." Veigar can't take his eyes off the ruins and the screaming people among

them. He studies his staff, its golden crystal still glowing as bright as ever.

He turns to Lulu, who smiles at him with sad eyes.

"I need only a moment."


	8. 20 AP: That's Not How You Do It!

There is a small forest clearing where land meets ocean. It's too small to build a

dock, and thus it has been spared from technological advancements from revered

inventors and stargazing engineers. It's the most natural part of Piltover with

fresh air still to be blown into the hair of tiny visitors.

Lulu skips onto a smooth rock sticking out of the shore water. She looks along

the horizon. "The portal! I can feel it! It's near!"

Veigar takes a step closer to an old birch. He examines its trunk and knocks on

it two times. "Yes, in fact, we are right on it!"

"Radishing!" Lulu jumps into the sand and runs to the little mage.

"Ravishing," Veigar corrects and scratches some of the bark with his finger.

"I know right!" The sorceress peeks at the tree while attempting to lean on

Veigar's shoulder. "Ouch! Spikes!"

"That's why." Veigar sneers at Lulu before he takes a step to the side. He scans

the tree from root to leaf. "I'm fairly sure the portal will open once we find the

perfect spiral."

"Doodad!"

Veigar turns around. "Excuse me?"

Lulu lifts her hat and messes up her hair searching for something. She puts it

back on her head and opens her golden emerald handbag, shaking it as if it was

a magic eightball that could give her an answer.

She puts her hands in lots of tiny pockets on her robe, tossing fairy dust,

glittery pebbles, broken pencils and wrapped candy in all directions.

Flying right past Veigar's nose, a bouncy ball gets stuck in the sand.

"Aha!" Lulu pulls forth a small bottle of expired juice. She quickly lowers it

and scratches her head. "No wait, that's not it."

"As you ought to understand soon, _yordle_ , I have little sympathy for your

moronic tomfoolery."

Lulu has already returned to digging in her purse. She pauses and looks up at

the mage. "What were we looking for again?"

Veigar hisses. He walks around the birch tree to find any sort of pattern that he

recognizes.

Only half-spirals seem to be engraved into its bark.

Beginnings without endings.

Pix flies up on a branch and shakes it, causing leaves and sticks to fall on the

warlock's hat.

Veigar looks up and gets dirt in his eyes. "Ah!" He scratches at his face.

"Can you two just stay out of my way!"

"You don't want any help?" Lulu stares at the grimacing yordle.

Veigar points to the ocean with his staff while rubbing his irritated eyes.

"Go there!"

Lulu looks at the waves, and then back at her miserable companion. She

pouts. "No! I want to help!"

"You don't even know what we're doing!"

"We're delivering milk!"

"Mail."

"Mail!"

The warlock lifts his staff up into the air and points with more force at the

sea behind Lulu.

The sorceress picks up the bouncy ball from the sand. "No! That's where YOU

should go!" She throws it at him. It hits his right shoulder.

"Ow!" Veigar strokes his arm and squints his eyes at Lulu.

She folds her arms. "That's what happens when you're mean!"

"I am the mean one!?" Veigar clenches his jaw and turns his gauntlets into

fists. "I am EVIL! And you... You are just a little...!"

Lulu shuts her eyes and points at the horizon where the sun is about to set.

Veigar mumbles curses and other forbidden things as he walks past her in the

appointed direction. He sits on the big rock that sticks out from the splashing

water, angrily putting his chin in his hands.

The sorceress takes a seat on a big root next to the birch, with her back against

the warlock. Some colourful berry bushes have her blend in perfectly in the

forest's palette.

Pix hovers above her and giggles.

Lulu whisks him away. "Leave me, Pix!"

The fairy flies higher up, watching the two stubborn yordles sitting on each their

end of the clearing. He doesn't find this situation as funny as he thought he

would.

Pix heads down and picks up the bouncy ball. He flies to Veigar and cautiously

places it next to him.

Veigar notices it and picks it up. He holds the ball above his head and turns

around to Lulu. "Very funny!" He throws it at her.

The ball hits the tree right next to the sorceress, making a whacking sounds

that causes her to jolt and turn around.

She sees the ball in the sand.

"You're bad at balls!" she yells.

She picks it up and stuffs it into one of her many pockets.

Veigar shakes his fist. "Well you're... small!" Then he returns to staring at the

ocean.

"You're even smaller!" Lulu crosses her legs.

Pix sighs. How will he patch up these two?

Suddenly he hears voices far away. The sound of metal scraping against leather.

Quick footsteps, lots of them. Snapping twigs and roaring movements.

Punishers.

Pix flies to Lulu, wildly gesticulating with his arms.

"Not now, Pix. You already know that game is for Wednesdays alone."

"But Lulu... I think someone's coming." Pix pulls at Lulu's robe.

She waves him away. "I'm not gonna look at him!"

Pix looks in Veigar's direction and sees a tall person clad in blue pants, a vest

and a peaked cap hit the mage in the back of his head with a hextech gun.

Pix darts in front of Lulu and blows fairy dust into her face.

"Pix!" She coughs as the little fairy pulls her hair in the direction of Veigar.

She opens her eyes just to see the warlock in the arms of a Piltovan police

officer.

Lulu's mouth falls open. "Vei! Veigar!" She tries to run after them, stumbling

about moss and pine needles. But the kidnappers vanish among the

kaleidoscopic trees.

She runs further into the forest. "Veigar!"

But they're gone.

Lulu scurries around in a circle. Pix sits on a branch so he won't get lightheaded.

That's when the sorceress gets a dazzling idea. She already knows where they

will take her friend— to the Dark Prison. That's where Punishers always go.

But she will need reinforcements.

She pulls out a chocolate muffin from her hair. "Doodad!" she exclaims.

She runs back to the birch where they had felt the most magic flowing. She

waves the muffin casually in front of its bark.

The spirals close together, finishing themselves and each other. An entrance out

of leaves and light appear on the patterns. Lulu and Pix get wrapped in a

spiralling shine as Lulu steps into the portal.

Her thoughts grow louder as their small frames fade.

"I'll save you, don't worry."


	9. 20 AP: Pain Is Inevitable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A long time ago...

"It appears a team of yordles has come to rescue you." The burly voice of

Mordekaiser echoes through his heavy armour.

"R-really!?" Veigar springs from his desk clasping his hands. He looks up at the

knight with shining eyes.

The brute stands still and stares at the hopeful mage before throwing himself

backwards laughing. "You are so wonderfully gullible!"

Veigar's ears fall. He looks down at the unevenly placed bricks on the ground.

"Of course nobody is coming for you." Mordekaiser grabs the yordle by the neck,

his hand big enough to cover Veigar's entire body.

The little mage whimpers and tries to get out of the Iron Revenant's grip.

Mordekaiser shoves him against the wall and leans in. "You are my secret weapon;

my new toy... from here on forward... Forever."

He drops him to the ground and walks towards the cell door. "Hahaha! Rescue!"

Mordekaiser puts two hands to his non-existent stomach as he roars.

"I will have a lot of fun with you, my little bunny," he says as he steps outside and

closes the door slowly. "Lots... of... fun..."

* * *

No. That was centuries ago. Now it's different... Now it's...

Chilly. And dark. The stone flooring is unsparingly hard. As always, very

uncomfortable to sleep on.

Veigar's head throbs and he has a lasting pain in the back.

He sits himself up and realizes where he is.

A prison cell.

Again...

There's a hole in the wall with three steel bars in front of it, letting in a bit of

moonlight. A calm wind blows through it.

Please...

Veigar senses his body weakening. His limbs feel faint.

Despite it being so cold that his breath leaves his lips as clouds he starts to sweat.

Please not again...

He tries to find his staff in the darkness, crawling around reaching every corner of

the small room.

But it's nowhere.

This can't be happening. He can't be here. The irony is much too strong. The pain

is all too heavy to bear. He can't return to _this_.

"This can't be my fate," he whispers and feels his eyes getting teary. He fights against

it. He can't let him win.

He had almost gotten used to being free. Except for the persistent nightmares that

make him question if he actually got out at all.

But he really had loved to entertain the thought that he finally escaped. Now he's

imprisoned in both worlds.

No matter where he goes, he will always be _his_.

The yordle crawls to a corner and covers his face with his hands. "I am dreaming

again. I must be dreaming. Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

He looks through his fingers. Everything is still the same. As it shouldn't be.

He tries once more.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

* * *

"I've got you now, _yordle_." The overwhelming physical power of the Iron Revenant's

hand prevents the little mage from casting any spells.

As he is held several meters above the ground he kicks at the metal gauntlet, but

it does nothing except cause clashing sounds.

"Gevari!" a member of the order cries out. He tries to yank his way out of another

knight's hold.

They hit him in the stomach and push him into the dirt.

"Deyra... run..." The yordle can't get enough air. He sees the world flee from him,

streaming down like the dye of a painting when raindrops course through its

colours.

"We need you!"

What used to be a familiar voice is now the noise of a faraway place.

A dim glow, or a bright darkness. Memories. Untold feelings.

"They are of no use to us."

What?

"Weak fools."

Wait...

"Slay them."

The yordle mage opens his eyes and sees the cloudy sky. The wind is catching up.

Raindrops pour down his chin.

No, that's not rain.

He turns his gaze to the right.

Red arm. Empty stare. Unnatural pose.

He screams.

* * *

"No, no, no!" Veigar cries and pulls at the collar on his robe. "It's not true!"

He stands up and hits the wall with his fists. He hits it again and again.

The mage keeps punching until a spike from his gauntlet is sent flying into the

air. It glides to the opposite corner of the cell.

Veigar smashes his head onto the bricks, causing his hat to fall off. His ears twitch

at the impact.

Water droplets fall on the cold floor. He kicks the barrier that is making him

remember the pain.

Kick. Curse walls!

Kick. Curse rooms!

Kick. Curse everything that buildings are!

Everything must hurt, or he won't be distracted from the memories. From the

thoughts.

"I miss you so much."

When his whole body aches, he sinks to the ground. As he sits there, he holds

himself tightly, leaning forward.

"Deyra..." Veigar rests his head against the brick corner. "I had almost... forgotten."

The mage laughs meekly. "I'm not good for you anymore. I haven't been for a long

time." He twists around and sees the broken spike next to the wall. "Hehehe. I am

good for no one."

Roaches start crawling. Bricks move closer. Air grows thicker.

"Stay away! Stay away from me!" Veigar waves and coughs.

Darkness takes over, slowly. It was dark from the beginning, but now it's getting

thicker.

Perhaps he should succumb to the familiar. The rotten. It knows him better than

anyone.

But the moonlight won't let it surround him. It is reflected in the mage's metal

clothing.

When the darkness calms, the yordle stares down at his scratched gauntlet.

It looks so damaged.

Pathetic.

A pain decides to punish him by burning from within. Veigar scratches at his chest,

as if trying to open it up. There's nothing there that can be fixed. Why is he even

trying? It's so desolate. So empty. Yet it feels so heavy. It's like a black hole feeds

on the memories. It sinks its teeth deeply through his ribs.

He lies down. The cold floor touches his cheek. He buries his face in his hands.

Through his metal fingers, he stares at his hat on the floor.

But really, he sees nothing.

This night is pure agony without bounds. And so will all other nights be from now on

if he doesn't do something. He knows this. He knows this all too well.

It's time to shut down.

The warlock grins. He chuckles. He laughs and laughs until his stomach hurts.

"I will show them! I will wrap the whole world in this splendid darkness! Hehehehe!"

He stretches out on the floor, facing the ceiling. "Lovely! Earwigs, spiders, maggots,

flies! I know all of you, I know all of Runeterra! I know everything about pain and

suffering and soon you will too!"

He rolls to his side and curls up into a ball.

The little yordle imitates a deeper voice. "You're all already doomed! Accept your

demise! No remorse!" He takes a deep breath. "Pain is inevitable! Pain is inevitable!

Pain is inevitable!"

He closes his eyes and pictures himself hiding behind a village house right after

he laid a trap involving berries, branches and many, many pine needles. Blood.

He tries to remember how it felt when the yordle witch held him, running away from

the Noxian assassin. Arm.

No matter how many memories he goes through, a hundred uninvited images pop

up inside his head. Over and over and over.

"Pain is inevitable..."


	10. 20 AP: The Bravest Volunteer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bandle City shenanigans

"Listen up everybody! You don't know me and I don't know you, but Vei needs

our help!" The doors Lulu slammed open, close in front of her and bop her nose.

She stumbles backwards and rubs her face. Eyes focused, she slams the doors

open once more to stomp into the bar. "If you help me I will give you all something

fun, I promise!"

Her shouting causes most of the yordles to look up from their drinks to stare at

her indifferently. However, most also return to sipping the foam of their drinks

or crying about a break-up, or sipping their drink while crying.

"It's important!" Lulu shouts.

But nobody looks up a second time. Apparently this happens often at the bar.

Lulu furrows her eyebrows and dashes out of the small building.

"Anyone!? I need help!"

An old yordle with folded ears and poor posture approaches Lulu. "Oh my, are

you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine thank you." Lulu smiles. Then she gasps. "Wait! I need help with

something!"

The old yordle tilts his head. "So what is it, my dear?"

"Hmm... I forgot! Thank you anyway!" Lulu skips towards the town's market.

The old yordle shrugs and brings out a flute. He plays a little song as he walks

in the opposite direction— towards the forest.

"Psst! Lulu!" Pix whispers, as if anyone else could hear his words. "That idiot

needs our help. You're here to find reinfor-"

"Oh, right!" Lulu looks at a fish at a food stand.

"You're saying that but you're looking at tuna. We don't even _like_ tuna!" Pix

pulls a hair strand from Lulu.

"Ow!" Lulu itches her head. "Maybe whoever would help us needs to be paid in

fish!"

"I'd prefer something that smells better."

"A bouquet?"

"That's more like it!"

"You really love flowers, huh?" Lulu snickers.

"Nothing is better than a field of flowers." Pix closes his eyes and imagines a

beautiful meadow with a clear blue sky and yellow flowers. Orange flowers too.

And blue ones. And pink ones. He is quickly pulled away from the thought as

Lulu finds something else to run to.

"Look, Pix! A crystal ball!"

A hooded figure sits on a footstool in front of a glowing sphere. Behind the

figure is a blue and purple tent looking like it's about to be blown away by

the wind.

"You have a keen eye, young yordling," says the figure. "Not only did I expect

your presence, but I also expect you to listen to this important message I have

for-"

Lulu holds up a glittery necklace at the table next to the hooded figure. "Wow!

Is this real gold?"

"Absolutely," says the tall jewelry seller. "You should hear about how I got it.

It's actually a pretty long story, but it's _very_ funny!"

The hooded figure clears his throat loudly. Pix notices it and tells Lulu to turn

her head. She jumps back to his footstool.

"You need something?"

"Your life is in danger. Not only that, but everyone in Runeterra is in danger.

Only _you_ can save us. Do you understand?"

Lulu puts her hand to her chin. She strokes it as if she was deep in thought.

Then she smiles. "Nope!"

The hooded figure sighs. "You're looking for Tristana. She's currently training

at the square."

Lulu looks confused at the shadow of a face the figure has.

"You see the alley over there?" The figure points with a scrawny arm to across

the street. Between two moss-clad houses, there's a narrow path. "Turn right

once you've gone through there and you'll meet her."

"Meet who?"

"Tristana!" The hooded figure yells. "Go now! Go, go, go!"

"Oh, okay! Thank you!" Lulu runs into the alley with Pix flying right behind her.

The hooded figure puts his palm to his forehead. "Will we really be alright?"

As the alley gets narrower, Lulu gets more excited. "I wonder who this

Tricksana person is! Maybe my grandma? Maybe my long lost twin brother!"

"It's the person we need to deliver the letter to, Lulu." Pix tries to not get

squeezed between Lulu's head and the walls that probably haven't been

cleaned for centuries.

"What letter?" Lulu stumbles out of the alley and lands sitting on a grass patch

surrounded by a flaky fence.

Pix sighs.

"Woah, are you okay?" asks a voice from the other side of the fence.

Lulu looks in all directions. "Are... are you my conscience?"

A white gate in the fence opens right next to Lulu. Before her stands a rather

tall yordle, with short white hair and goggles on top of her head. A gun about

the same size as her body hangs on her back.

"Well if you want me to I could give you a lesson or two in ethics and discipline,"

responds the yordle gunner.

"What's that!" Lulu's eyes widen.

"I'm just joking, silly." The white haired yordle reaches out her hand to Lulu.

The sorceress grabs it and gets pulled to her feet fast.

"Woo! You're strong!" Lulu laughs as she tries to regain balance.

"I have to be or I wouldn't be able to carry Boomer here." The yordle gunner

taps on her shoulder at the gun. "He's a heavy one."

Lulu gasps at the size of it. "Impressive!"

"The letter!" whispers Pix hiding in Lulu's hair.

"Oh!" Lulu puts her hands in all her pockets. "Who was the letter to again?"

"She is right in front of you! We're _so_ close to delivering it!" Pix says, the corner

of his mouth twitching.

"Uhm, are you talking to that butterfly?" The yordle gunner looks at Lulu

dubiously.

"Of course. And here!" Lulu reaches a paper ball to her.

"What's this?"

"It's to Trihannah!"

"You couldn't mean... Tristana?" asks the yordle gunner.

"How did you know!?"

"Because that's me, silly." She unfolds the letter.

"What a revelation!" says Lulu putting her hands to her cheeks.

As Tristana reads the paper, Lulu jumps behind her to read too.

Right then, the white-haired yordle squeezes it into a ball and stuffs

it into the pocket of her pants. "Ah, gee! That old geezer!" she says.

"Never thinking of himself."

"What did it say?" Lulu scratches her head.

"You need some help with a quest, right?"

"Oh, that's right!" Vei is in danger! You must come help me rescue him!"

"Wait what?"

"No time to explain! Follow me to the Dark Prison!" Lulu runs along the

fence.

"Wait!" Tristana dashes and grabs her arm.

"What are you doing!? We must hurry!" Lulu tries to wriggle her way out of

Tristana's grip.

The yordle gunner lets go of her arm and brings forward her giant gun.

"I know a shortcut."


	11. 20 AP: Point Blank in the Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Escapist

"FIRE!"

A muted shot rings out. The bricks of the wall fly in all directions with a significantly

louder blast.

Veigar jolts. He jumps around the flying debris to avoid getting hit by it. A brick cracks

right into the wall next to him.

"This is nothing for ol' Boomer," a voice says from outside.

Veigar crouches down. When things have turned silent he sneaks around the big cloud

of smoke that has replaced the prison wall.

"That's amazing, Tris!" says the all too familiar voice of a certain idiotic witch.

Veigar places a cautious gauntlet on the edge of the massive rupture.

"You're sure he's in this one though?" the other voice asks. What was her name again?

Tris?

"Mhm! Pretty sure he's somewhere in this world!"

"No, Lulu, I thought you said he was somewhere in this CELL!"

Veigar rubs his eyes. He hops out.

"Well, he could be!" Lulu notices a figure in the smoke. As soon as she sees the

over-sized hat and dress, her face lights up and she runs towards him. "Vei!"

She throws herself at him.

By instinct he takes a step to the left to dodge her and she glides on the ground.

First he giggles at the silly display.

Then he regrets it. He doesn't know why he regrets it, but he would never show such

weakness anyway.

Lulu jumps to her feet and makes an overly sad face towards him. "How could you!"

"I..." Veigar turns to the other purple yordle. If the first one looks annoying as always,

this one looks about as confused as himself. They would be more reasonable had they

not just... He scratches his hat. "Did you fire a cannon into a prison cell without knowing

if it was the right one!?"

"Seems that way," says Tristana and leans her gun on her hip. "But it also seems I was

right! Now we better hurry before the Punishers come! Boomer is both powerful _and_ loud!"

Tristana aims her weapon at the ground.

"Oh yeah!" Lulu grabs Veigar's hand and runs to Tristana with him. "Hurry!"

Veigar makes a conscious effort at not pulling away. Then he remembers, "Wait!"

He stops, causing Lulu to fall forward. "They have my staff! I must get it back!"

"Hehe!" Lulu smiles. "They never took it! I have it here somewhere, in a pocket!" Lulu

feels around her robe. When she can't find it, she looks up at the black yordle and

shrugs. "You'll just have to take my word for it!"

Veigar is speechless where he stands. He thought he had lost it forever. If his staff

came into the possession of the authorities...

"There they are!"

The yordles turn their heads to see humans in vests running towards them.

"Get a move on! They're going to catch up to us!" Tristana waves for Lulu and Veigar

to come.

The sorceress pulls the dazed mage with her.

"Hold onto me!" Lulu grabs onto the gun.

Veigar hesitates, but wraps his arms around Lulu's waist, still confused as to why.

"Close your eyes and ears, lady and gentleman, 'cause this is going to be a noisy

and bumpy ride!" Tristana pulls the trigger and the three yordles are sent flying into

the air.

Veigar shuts his eyes and holds his arms tightly around Lulu.

"WEEHOO!" Lulu reaches one arm up into the air.

"Don't do that!" Veigar cries and squeezes harder.

"Yeah, you probably shouldn't! We're about to laaand!" Tristana sticks out her legs

as they fall right into the crown of a tree.

Branches and leaves aggressively poke them in their faces as they tumble around

and fall into a bush.

Veigar tries to climb out of it but Tristana pulls his leg.

"Let go of me!" Veigar struggles against her.

"Ssh." Tristana spies through the leaves. "We're hiding now."

Veigar lies down next to her and Lulu's legs.

"That was fun!" Lulu exclaims.

Tristana hushes and covers Lulu's mouth.

Two officers come running with flashlights.

"Where did they go?" One of the officers aims their light at the yordle hiding bush.

"Probably towards the bar, hurry!"

The Punishers run down the street into a building with loud people and blinking

lights. "Eeey! Matt! You're here already!"

When the door closes and the music gets muted, Tristana jumps out of the bush.

"What a breeze!"

Veigar snorts.

"We did it! We saved Vei!" Lulu darts out, causing Veigar to wince. She jumps into

Tristana's arms and they spin around.

The yordle gunner laughs. "We make a great team, Lulu!"

"Best team!" Lulu lets go and almost falls over from dizziness.

Pix takes the opportunity to fly around her hoping he can get her to tumble.

Veigar crawls out of the bush. "If you two morons are done celebrating, we should

try to get as far away from here as possible!" He corrects his hat. Then he glances

at Lulu. "And I'd like my staff back."

"Gee, old man. Where's your manners?" Tristana puts her hands on her hips.

"Excuse you?" Veigar takes a step forward to participate in an angry staring contest.

Tristana puts her gun on the ground causing a heavy thud. "We just saved your ass,

and you're not even gonna say thanks?"

"I would've gotten myself out of there had you given me one more hour!"

"Sure."

"Indeed!"

"Definitely."

"Precisely!"

Forehead to forehead, they stare into each others' eyes intently. Veigar hisses.

Tristana growls.

"Hey, no need to thank us. I wanted to save you anyway!" Lulu hands the mage his

glowing staff.

Veigar pulls back and sees Lulu's big smile. He grabs the staff while looking away.

"I hope you didn't do anything to it!"

Tristana throws her head backwards, almost choking on her frustration. Shooting her

arms towards the sky she yells, "Please! Someone! Make this yordle DECENT!"

Veigar gives her a death glare. "I'm _not_ a yordle."

Tristana raises an eyebrow.

"Speaking of yordles, why are you here?" Veigar crosses his arms.

The yordle gunner sticks out her tongue. "It's a favour. I have to get to Heimerdinger

now."

"Ah, yes. Perfect. You should be on your way then. Fare thee well!"

"And we're going with her!" Lulu jumps between them waving her arms.

Veigar turns silent for a second, looking at Lulu's dumb face, thinking it's a joke.

Then he sees Tristana's confused expression.

"We four are gonna be a team!" Lulu smiles.

Tristana's and Veigar's eyes widen. "What!?"


	12. 20 AP: Too Many Health Potions!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who's down to fight?

"Sorry about the ball." Lulu holds open the door.

Veigar stops. "What?"

Noticing the atmosphere, Tristana steps inside the shop. "I'll talk to Heimer.

I'll leave you two to sort out whatever this is." She pulls the door closed with

a forced smile.

A cold breeze blows between the two mages.

"It looked like it really hurt your arm back there," Lulu says and curls her hair

with her index finger.

Pix gives her a thumbs up from above.

The dark mage is reminded of their little dispute. When his past had caught

up to him, he had completely forgotten about it. "Oh, that," he says in a stoic

voice. "It didn't hurt at all."

"Really?"

"Yes. Having this stranger on our team however, hurts quite a lot. Err, I don't

mean me, I mean, the team. It hurts the tea-"

"But Tris is great! She's not a stranger, she's a friend!"

Veigar pinches the bridge of his nose. "Witch, you'd call your own murderer a

friend."

"Well you know what they say! My enemies and enemy's enemies are my friends!"

"What? Are you certain that's how it goe-"

The shop door slams open. Tristana stands on the threshold with a map in her

hand and a shocked expression on her face. "You're going to Mount Targon!?

Are you insane!?"

Veigar snatches the map from her. "That is none of your non-magical business,

gun yordle!"

"You're both just gonna... gonna stroll to your deaths fully aware you're yordles!?"

"I AM _NOT_ A YORDLE!" yells Veigar. He notices he closed his eyes and is clutching

the now wrinkly map. Looking up, he sees Lulu and Tristana both staring at him

alarmed. He feels a flush creeping up his cheeks. In a lower voice he says, "We can

do whatever we want." He turns around. With quick steps he follows the road

towards a weapon shop.

Lulu and Tristana look at each other. Then Lulu skips after the hurrying mage.

Tristana stays behind and watches their backs. She thinks of Heimderdinger's

words, 'I know I can trust you, Tristana. That poor yordle, lost in the darkness

for so long. He doesn't know who he is. This is your ultimate test of courage.

You've always been my courage through all these years. Be to him what you've

been to me, will you?"

Tristana straightens her goggles and pulls up her belt. "You only think about

your inventions and what can be fixed. It's never you or me," she says to herself

as she starts walking.

When she arrives, the two yordles have already disappeared inside. She sighs

and pushes open the door.

"Six health potions!? No way you can carry that many! Put those back

immediately!" Veigar bellows.

"Too late, I already bought them! They said no returns!" Lulu tries to push the

potions into her emerald bag.

"You know they're useless in a real fight! Gah! You should've given _me_ the

money instead!"

Tristana makes her way further into the cramped place. It's full of huge axes,

bows and knives carelessly placed around the shelves. It's the opposite of how

weapons are handled for the Bandle Gunners.

"So, how much do we have left?" Veigar stomps his foot impatiently.

"They took aaaall the coins!" Lulu says as she spreads her arms out wide.

"What!? But then we don't have any money for food!"

"We can drink health potions!" Lulu smiles.

"Agh! I knew you were a mistake! I knew it!"

Tristana steps in. "Hey, don't worry. I have enough to get us meals for a month.

Or at least meals for two of us, unless a certain someone apologizes to me."

She looks mockingly at Veigar.

"Apology for what? For being superior in every way?" Veigar snorts.

"For being an ungrateful little-" She tries to find a word that won't strike him

too hard, he seems to be rather unstable. "Bunny."

"You dare!" he cries. "Never that I apologize to a _yordle_!" He barges out of the

store.

The other two follow him.

The shop owner blinks in confusion.

"Hey, where are you going?" Tristana jogs after him.

"I am going to find a way to earn some mone-!"

WHAM!

Veigar runs right into a streetlight with a paper on it. The impact causes it to

fall off and glide back and forth in the air, slowly, til it lands on the knee of

the dazed mage. "Agh." He holds his forehead with his glove. "What is this?"

The paper has written on it: FIGHTING TOURNAMENT! Only the most powerful

mages and fighters can enter! A total of 8 Participants! We're looking for 1

(2 is crossed out) more to take part in the most incredible tournament of the

month! Be there or be the grilled chicken we sell here for only 4 gold coins!

"What a bunch of bullcrap," he thinks, til he reads the bottom of the page.

"The prize is 800 gold coins!?"

Tristana and Lulu catch up to him.

"Are you okay?" Lulu stretches out her hand towards him.

Veigar sees her arm and promptly ignores it. He gets up by himself with the

flyer in hand.

"What did you find there?" Tristana leans to the side, trying to read the paper.

The dark mage brushes off pebbles and dust from his robe. He turns to the

yordles with a mischievous smile. "I'm going to join a tournament!"

Lulu gasps. "A magical tournament?"

"No! Or perhaps. It's tomorrow. I better hurry and apply!"

Pix laughs. "He will be turned into yordle mush in the first round."

"Is the little twerp squeaking about insignificant matters again?"

"Pix thinks you'll do great in the magic show!" Lulu says with her hands

behind her back.

Pix bites her thumb but she squeezes him til he stops.

Tristana shakes her head. "You're not really doing this are you?"

"Are _you_ really doubting my prowess?" Veigar says.

"But you're so... small."

The evil yordle points his staff towards Tristana. "Watch your tongue, yordle!"

He swings it towards himself and wanders off in the direction of the city center.

He raises his staff as he shouts, "I will win everything, just you wait!"

Tristana leans close to Lulu's ear and whispers, "Why does he do that?"

"Do what?" Lulu says, too loud. But Veigar is too busy with finding the way to the

sign up to hear what they say.

Tristana frowns. "Why does he look down on yordles? He is one himself is he not?"

"He does?"

"He does."

"Hmm." Lulu strokes her cheek. Then she itches it. Then she stretches her arm to

itch the top of her hat. "I'm pretty sure Vei is a mage like me."

They walk past several colourful buildings. A bakery, a clothing store, several

food trucks.

Tristana watches Veigar jump up on a table to talk to a man at the town square.

She observes the mage's frayed blue robe with its many spikes.

"And I'm pretty sure he's hiding something."


	13. 20 AP: Everyone in the Whole City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And... Fight!

"Are you sure you can handle him? He looks pretty tough." Tristana takes off

her gun, lies it down on the ground and sits on it.

Veigar is resting on a chair carved out of stone. He stands up to see past the

arena. On the other side of it sits his opponent in a similar, but three times

bigger, stone chair.

"Pfft," Veigar says," That guy has knives at the end of his cape. It's like he's

wearing his cards out of his sleeves and on the wrong side of his hands! I can

take him easy."

"If you say so, Captain Spike-Knee." Tristana grimaces.

Veigar throws her a sharp look. "My spikes are accessories!"

"Very painful accessories," says Lulu. She stands behind Tristana, looking

around at all the people who have already gathered around the arena.

"Very _intended_ accessories," says Veigar and sits down in his chair.

A small man in a suit, barely taller than Tristana, carries three cardboard

boxes to a corner of the arena. He places them neatly on top of each other

before climbing to their highest point. From inside his suit, he pulls forth a

microphone and taps on its tip. "Hello, hello? Is my beautiful, wonderful voice

being sent to my beautiful, wonderful audience?" The echo of his words is

soon drowned in a collective cheering by hundreds of people.

Tristana holds her hands to her ears while Lulu screams in excitement. "It's

starting, Tristana! Look, look, look!"

"We'll begin shortly," says the announcer," But first, let me present to you the

two participants of our first round!"

The crowd starts screaming and waving their arms.

Flying to the middle of the arena, landing sofly, is Veigar's opponent. He is clad

in dark clothes with a blue hood hiding his face. He swings a cape that silences

the air around him. His right arm has attached to it a huge blade made of steel

and it reflects the sun into Veigar's eyes. Possibly on purpose. The little mage

has to cover his face with his gauntlet to not be blinded.

"Here we have one of the three deadliest blademasters in all of Valoran! The

Blade's Shadow— Talon Du Couteau!"

The audience claps as Talon bows gracefully.

Tristana sneaks closer to Veigar. "Hey, I think this is bad. This guy. Isn't he your

counter?"

Veigar feels a cold sweat. It's true, from only the few seconds he has seen of Talon,

he can tell that he is quick and swift. Veigar may be powerful, but power means

nothing if he can't hit the target with his spells.

The dark mage closes his eyes and tries to concentrate. 'I will find a way out in the

end,' he thinks. 'It will be fine. Because I am... The Great Master of Evil!'

Veigar rises from his chair. "Nonsense, yordle! I don't have a counter!"

The announcer turns from the assassin towards the other side of the arena.

"And here is Vee-gar, a magical spirit from centuries past!"

"It's VAY-GAR!" shouts the little mage.

"What was that?" The announcer reaches down his microphone and lets Veigar walk

up to it.

"I am VAY-GAR, The Great Master of Evil! Myahahaha!" Veigar raises his staff and

dark clouds start forming above.

"I'm sorry, VAY-gar. May I ask of you not to use your powers before the match has

started?"

"You may not." Veigar turns away with his nose high and walks to his place in the

ring. Slowly the clouds draw back, revealing the sun.

"There you have it, folks!"

Everyone cheers. "In only a few seconds, the knife will hit the shadows. These two

legends will battle here on this stone circle arena, for the fantastic prize of 800

gold coins! And one many only win by killing their opponent... or forcing them out

of the ring's boundaries! May... the match... begin!" The announcer throws his arms

in the air, along with the microphone that flies behind him into the crowd. Everyone's

screaming and pushing each other while the announcer dives into the swarm.

Tristana and Lulu find themselves being squeezed in between different people.

"If only they paid more respect to soldiers!" says Tristana with pressed cheeks.

"Or us!" whines Lulu.

Tristana frowns under the beer belly of a burping man.

In the arena, Veigar begins walking along the edge of the stone circle.

Talon walks sideways on the opposite end. "So you're Veigar, eh? So far you're not

quite living up to my expectations."

Veigar stops and lowers his staff. "That better not be a short joke!"

Talon charges and sprints towards the mage.

Veigar swallows and materializes five crooked pillars from the ground. But as

Talon is about to run into one, he disappears in a ring of blades.

The pillars fall apart and the little mage calls on darkness from above to land right

on himself. Noticing this, Talon backs off by dashing to his end of the circle.

Veigar throws himself out of the way for the Dark Matter and surrounds himself

with new pillars of the Event Horizon. As the shadows crash into the ground behind

him, he notices Talon once again charging towards him.

"Can't catch a break, can you!?" Veigar forms a ball of energy in his gauntlet.

"You should catch this instead!"

When Veigar throws his Baleful Strike, Talon shifts his speed and rolls to the left.

Veigar stomps, his eyes flaming. This is frustrating. He's getting tired, already.

It must be his wound. It hasn't fully healed yet. This might be bad. Talon could

attack him right now and he'd be vulnerable enough to get hurt. This would be

a great opportunity for him. So why... isn't he attacking?

Talon is crouched on the ground, almost crawling, several meters away from him.

When he meets Veigar's gaze, he throws a smaller blade up into the air. He runs

towards the mage, who tries to jump to the side. But the blademaster says calmly,

"Wait a second."

At those words, Veigar stumbles on his own feet and falls to his knees. Talon

squats in front of him. He lifts Veigar's hat a bit so as to see his face. Veigar feels

frozen on all fours. Talon leans in. "What do you know about the disappearance of

General Du Couteau?"

Veigar who was about to be filled with fear and shame, as he thought Talon was

going to cut his throat and win the match, drops his jaw, "What?"

Talon stands up and sighs. "Of course."

Veigar pushes himself up and hops backwards. He swings his staff in a circle.

Talon, who had let his guard down a little too low, finds himself paralyzed in

between the furthest two pillars of the Event Horizon.

"Now it's your turn to tell me," says Veigar and forms his gauntlet in a fist, 

making a pulling down motion to call on the Dark Matter. "What do you know

about the whereabouts of Mordekaiser?"

"Nothing," says Talon in a low voice. Then he smiles.

Veigar backs away as the shadow of the Dark Matter approaches. But the Event

Horizon dwindles before the shadow hits and Talon manages to leap out of its

range.

"You little-!" Veigar attempts to materialize another Event Horizon when he

gets blinded by a falling knife. Veigar backs so far that he almost falls off the

stone circle's edge.

Talon dashes towards him with his steel blade ready to cut. He raises it far

above his head. It's sure to hit. But Veigar really does fall off the edge— except

he gets a hold of it, and hangs there. Talon, who aimed downwards for Veigar's

short stature, completely misses, and instead flies beyond the edge and falls

into the crowd.

After some screams from the people he landed into, everyone goes quiet, not

certain who won. The announcer found his microphone and climbs up on his

boxes.

Talon is confused while he's crowd surfing. Veigar is impatient dangling from

the edge.

"Hang in there!" shouts Lulu between two people with shaky legs.

The announcer coughs into the microphone. He corrects his bowtie and swipes

his suit. "And the winner of the first match is..." Everyone is silent. The crowd

drops Talon, making him land on his feet like a cat.

"VAY-gar! The Tiny Master of Evil!"

Some people immediately start booing. But when Lulu claps and hops around,

more people cheer with her. "You did it! Yay for Vei!" Lulu holds Tristana's hands

and they jump in a circle laughing.

"I can't believe it!" says Tristana with Pix dancing on her head.

Veigar drops to the ground and loses balance. He falls on his butt, but quickly rises

and has his gauntleted hand held up by the barely 2 foot taller announcer.

"Congratulations! How does it feel to finally win something?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Veigar pulls back his hand.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Look! Everyone is cheering for you! You won your first match!"

The announcer claps and walks backwards into the crowd.

Veigar looks around at people's faces. Some are looking at him and laughing with

whomever they're accompanying. Others are drinking or eating or even dancing.

The little mage tries to find familiar faces. He lowers his gaze and spots something

red among all the legs. It bounces and spins around. Yep, that's her.

While squeezing through the crowd, he is met by questioning human eyes, but he

ignores them. Casual, ignorant humans are nothing to take notice of. No matter

what they say.

Lulu leaps to Veigar and throws her arms around him. "I knew you could do i- Ow!"

She throws herself off of him almost as quickly. "When will you get rid of all the spikes!"

"Definitely never as long as you're around," says Veigar and smirks.

Tristana drops out of the crowd and a smile spreads across her face when she sees the

other two. "I never thought you could do it! That was amazing, Veigar!"

The mage grins. "As expected! Never doubt the Ti- GREAT Master of Evil!"

"What was that?" Tristana leans in. "Did I hear..?"

"N-not at all!"

"The tiny? The Tiny Master of Evil?"

"NO! Absolutely not! Stop talking!" Veigar waves his hands as if to whisk away the words.

Lulu giggles. "Ti-"

"You keep quiet!"

The three yordles walk away from the arena, to a small hill where fewer people stand.

"Here we won't be crushed when the next match starts," says Tristana and sits on her

gun.

"This is much better indeed!" Lulu lies in the grass. Pix relaxes in her spread out hair.

Veigar sits next to Lulu, with a good distance between them. A sigh of relief escape his

lips.

"I heard the next match has a yordle fighting too," Tristana says and leans to the right,

trying to see if the next fighters have come yet.

Veigar is too tired to correct her. So he'll let her get away with being stupid, just for now.

Just for now.


End file.
